Thune: Senate Republicans Mark 100 Days of Accomplishments for the American People
“[I]t’s been a busy 100 days in the United States Senate. And I’m looking forward to many more.”
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor:
Thune’s remarks below (as delivered):
“Mr. President, Saturday will mark 100 days of the 119th Congress – and the Republican majority here in the Senate.
“And it’s been a very productive 100 days.
“We’ve had 14 weeks of the new Congress, and the Senate’s been in session and voting for 13 of those 14 weeks.
“We had the longest continuous in-session work period in 15 years – 10 weeks.
“And yesterday we took our 200th vote.
“That’s more votes at this point in a new Congress since at least the Reagan era.
“And what do we have to show for it?
“Well, Mr. President, we’ve confirmed the president’s Cabinet at the fastest pace in more than 20 years.
“And as of this week we have more than 50 total confirmations.
“Confirming nominees is a big focus of any new Congress with a newly elected president.
“And we’re building out the president’s administration at a brisk pace.
“But that’s far from the only thing we’ve done.
“We passed Senator Britt’s Laken Riley Act – the first bipartisan border bill since 2006 – which the president signed into law on January 29.
“This legislation – which incorporated amendments by Senators Cornyn, Ernst, and Budd – ensures that illegal immigrants who steal, assault a law enforcement officer, or kill or seriously injure another person are detained instead of being allowed back out on the street.
“We also passed Senator Grassley and Senator Cassidy’s HALT Fentanyl Act – by an even stronger bipartisan margin – to provide law enforcement with critical tools to combat this deadly [drug].
“And we considered other important bills – Senator Tuberville’s legislation to protect women’s sports, Senator Banks and Senator Lankford’s legislation to protect babies born alive after botched abortions, Senator Cotton’s ICC sanctions bill – that, all of those, were unfortunately filibustered by our Democrat colleagues.
“And that’s not all.
“We’ve also passed six Congressional Review Act resolutions – and plan to pass a seventh today – to repeal burdensome Biden administration regulations, thanks to the efforts of, among others, Senators Hoeven, Cruz, Kennedy, Ricketts, and Tim Scott.
“And finally, Mr. President, we’ve considered not one but two budget resolutions to provide the framework for a permanent extension of the 2017 tax relief and a transformational investment in our border, energy, and national security.
“And I’m proud of the role the Senate’s two resolutions have played in advancing negotiations as we head toward a final bill.
“Mr. President, as I’ve said before, my philosophy of leadership comes from my dad.
“He was a basketball coach at our high school, and he had some very strong opinions about the right way to play.
“Sports to him was not about personal glory; it was about elevating the team.
“That’s an attitude I’ve tried to bring to every leadership position I’ve held.
“And when Republican senators trusted me with the role of majority leader last November, I promised to empower my colleagues and to open up the Senate.
“And I’m proud that we’ve been making progress toward that goal.
“We’ve honored the commitment to return to regular order, and have brought multiple bills to the floor via the committee process, where members of both parties have a chance to amend and improve legislation.
“We’ve created additional opportunities for members to draw attention to their priorities and manage their bills on the floor.
“And we’ve done substantial work to cut down vote times, to make the process more efficient and free members up for the other work that they have to do.
“I’ve also been working to ensure that the lines of communication are open at all levels – at the member level, at the staff level, between the House and the Senate, and between the Senate and the White House.
“I regularly chat with the president and with Speaker Johnson, so that we can ensure that House, Senate, and White House are all on the same page and doing everything we can to advance our shared goals.
“Mr. President, when we return from Easter, we will continue to have a packed agenda.
“More nominations to confirm.
“More burdensome Biden regulations to repeal.
“A tax bill – and border, energy, and national security bill – to continue drafting.
“Committees are currently working on legislation that will come to the floor in the coming weeks and months.
“And, of course, appropriations season is almost upon us.
“And I remain committed to considering as many appropriations bills as possible under regular order.
“When the Appropriations Committee reports a bill, I intend to bring that bill to the floor for debate.
“Mr. President, that will require cooperation from Democrats.
“But I hope – I truly hope – that my Democrat colleagues will recognize that the right way to fund the government is to bring individual appropriation bills through the committee process, and then consider them on the Senate floor.
“Mr. President, it’s been a busy 100 days in the United States Senate.
“And I’m looking forward to many more.”
Related Issues: Filibuster, Fentanyl, America's Military, Military, Tax Reform, Economy, Debt And Deficits, Border Security, Budget, Israel
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